Effect of dietary protein on oxidative stress and modulation of the pacu immune system (Piaractus mesopotamicus)

• Grant number: 18/12233-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2019
• End date: April 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Susumu Takahashi
• Grantee: Sandie Barbosa Bispo dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Dracena. Dracena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Proteins are the main constituents of fish tissues, composing 65 to 75% of the body dry matter. In this way, they are of extreme importance for maximum performance of the animal. Furthermore, protein foods are the most costly ingredients in feed composition. Therefore, it is extremely important to balance fish feed, in order to guarantee a food with adequate levels of protein, improving productivity, profitability, and reducing impacts on the environment. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the antioxidant status and its relationship with immunity to different dietary protein levels on pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus). The experiment will be conducted in a completely randomized design with six experimental diets (15,0; 18,5; 22,0; 25,5; 29,0 e 32,5% PD). After the feeding period, the fish will be submitted to biometry and biological material collection. After the fish is laparotomized blood samples will be collected by caudal puncture and liver was removed. Indicators of oxidative stress, hematological variables and indicators of non-specific immunity will be evaluated. The results obtained will be submitted to ANOVA and the averages compared by the Tukey test (5%).